


a mother's visit

by playitagain



Series: a mother's love [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M, a hint of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 12:28:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30004899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/playitagain/pseuds/playitagain
Summary: Molly pops by a little early for her weekly breakfast with Ron and ends up surprising the two.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Ron Weasley
Series: a mother's love [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2119764
Comments: 5
Kudos: 49





	a mother's visit

There isn’t enough laundry. 

Molly collects the sheets, still clean from her last load two weeks ago. It doesn’t do much to occupy her time, to keep her mind from wandering. The dreams are still haunting her, Ron’s face appearing in the floo and the boys unconscious in the hospital. She needs to occupy her hands, find something to keep her mind focused on the task. 

“I’ll just drop in. I’ll get the boy’s laundry. They’ve been working so hard lately,” Molly mutters. She’s heading over anyway. Ron’s always a bit lonely in the morning since they separated the two to the point they’re on completely different shifts. She usually heads over once a week for breakfast and to help out around the house no matter how much Ron insists they’re doing just fine with the housework. Molly can’t help it. She needs to help her children and they wouldn’t let her do much else. 

Molly gives the clock one last glance, rationalizing the early hour in her head. She’s up particularly early from her nightmares and she knows the boys are often up early from their own bad dreams. They’d be awake, even at seven in the morning. It’s all the convincing she needs before she leaves a note for Arthur so he doesn’t worry when he heads to work and floos over to the boy’s flat. 

“Ron, dear?” She calls into the flat, stepping out of the floo and glancing around. The room is empty, but she isn’t surprised. Ron’s always been a late sleeper and even though he may not be sleeping, he still likes to lie in bed all morning. Molly usually has breakfast already when he comes wandering down. 

“Harry?” It’s no surprise Harry doesn’t replay. He’s on the morning shift now, separated from Ron so they can ‘learn to work with others better’. The separation apparently needed to include new partners and separate shifts because Ron’s on nights while Harry works days. Ron luckily doesn’t work overnights, but it still leaves him to arrive home at midnight. Molly doesn’t blame him if he wants to have a lie in. 

As Molly steps further into the flat, she can hear the shower going down the hall. Oh, it would seem Ron was awake. It’s a bit surprising but doesn’t stop her from heading in that direction to grab the towels and let him know she’s just grabbing the laundry and she’ll be back to have breakfast. 

The sound of voices surprises her, but doesn’t deter her as she pushes the door open. “Ron, dear,” Molly announces, startled when a bottle falls to the ground in the shower. 

“Shit!” Ron yells, “What are you doing, mum?” She doesn’t miss the agitation in his voice but she assumes it’s simply because she’s disturbing his time in the shower so she pushes the door the rest of the way open. 

“I’m just grabbing the towels. I thought I’d grab some laundry before I made breakfast,” she explains, grabbing both towels from the rack. She didn’t bring a basket but with a flick of her wand they fly down the hall and rest in front of the floo. “Did you need me to wash anything else?”

“Mum, we don’t need you to do our laundry,” Ron sighs. She replaces Ron’s towel with a fresh one, resting it along the edge of the sink. She knows it may be a bit much, but she adds a nice warming charm so it’s cozy when he gets out. 

“It’s no problem, dear.” She isn’t going to let him keep arguing so she continues on instead even though she knows she should just leave him be. “Did Harry already leave for work? Oh, I missed him at Sunday dinner. Do you think you’ll be able to make it this week?”

Molly’s startled by the grunt from the shower. It isn’t like she can see through the curtain so she’s surprised when another voice drifts through the bathroom. “We’ll be able to make it this week, Mrs. Weasley.” 

Oh! Oh, my. She doesn’t know what she may have just walked in on and she can’t help it when her cheeks heat in embarrassment at her realization. She had assumed Harry left for his shift early, which isn’t unusual on the days Molly joins for breakfast. 

“Oh, my,” Molly mutters. “I forgot to get you a towel, Harry.” The realization hits her when she catches sight of the one warm towel waiting for Ron. 

“Uh-“ Harry mutters and Molly can only imagine how awkward this situation is for them. 

“It’s fine, mum. Harry’s actually off today. We’ll meet you downstairs for breakfast,” Ron is unusually calm for someone who's been caught in the shower with their boyfriend. He really has grown up. She’s sure he would have freaked out when he was younger. 

“Of course, I’ll grab the towel,” Molly says with a flick of her wand. The towel flies into her hands and she places it over the other with another warming charm. “I’m sorry for barging in. I thought I’d keep you company this morning. I know you get a bit lonely without Harry.”

“Mum!” That may have been a bit too much. Oh, she’s just going to leave. She’ll head back home and finish up the laundry, give them ample time to wrap up whatever they may have been doing that she isn’t even going to think about. Nope. She will not think about what she may have disturbed. 

“Sorry, dear! I’ll be back in half an hour. I’ll grab a load of laundry while I’m here.” That is why she came anyway and she doesn’t give Ron another chance to argue before she slams the door closed a little too loudly. 

“Lonely?” She hears drift through the door, followed by laughter. It isn’t menacing in any way, simply teasing. It brings a smile to Molly’s lips hearing the smile in Harry’s voice. It had taken so long for Harry to open up again after the war and it seems he’s finally found his footing, especially when he’s around Ron. 

“Shut it, Harry,” Ron mutters, but she can hear the laughter in his voice. “You know I don’t like it when it’s so quiet. Mum just keeps me company for a while. If she didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to make that egg thing you like anyway.” 

Molly knows it’s time to grab the laundry and head out when Harry doesn’t seem to reply with words. She imagines the words were meant with a kiss and she firmly stops that thought before she hurries to grab their laundry from the hamper, off to keep herself busy for a while before she floos back over for breakfast. 

——

The laughter echoes in the flat when Molly steps out of the floo over half an hour later. “Thank Merlin we weren’t doing anything when mum walked in,” Ron laughs. Molly can’t believe how much of a relief that is. She’s walked in on her children in the past and it’s not something she’d like to relive. Plus, this is their house. It isn’t like she could do much about it here. 

“That would have been bloody awkward, not that it wasn’t already,” Harry replies, laughter coating his words. He sounds calm, happy and it’s everything Molly has ever wanted for that lost little boy she saw on the platform all of those years ago. “But why was she doing our laundry? Conveniently when it’s your turn.”

Molly can’t help but her own laugh when Ron splutters in indignation. “She does not! She was just bein’ nice. I swear we usually just do breakfast. She doesn’t do the laundry….that often.”

“Ron!” Harry laughs and Molly hears a playful slap. It’s like music to a mother’s ears hearing her child so happy. 

“I can’t say no! She’s my mum,” Ron argues. Molly figures it’s about time to interrupt before the two notice her hovering just on the other side of the doorway to the kitchen. It’s bad enough she crashed their shower earlier, she doesn’t want to be caught spying. 

“Dear, Ronnie just doesn’t know how much I do the laundry,” Molly interjets with a smile. The boys don’t seem startled by her presence so she assumes they both realized she was there. 

“Mum,” Ron groans, head falling back. He doesn’t step away from Harry though, arms around his waist. Harry is cooking something on the stove with a happy smile. 

The pair are never this affectionate at the Burrow. It’s normally just hand holding or the two leaning into each other on the couch. Ron occasionally will drape an arm across the back of the couch, but the two aren’t more affectionate than that. Other than the kiss on the cheek the night they came out to the family, Molly hasn’t ever seen them kiss in front of anyone on purpose. The two are simply private with their affection for each other. 

(She’s caught them a few times when they think no one is looking. It’s normally when it was just the three of them at the Burrow, before they even told the family. Molly would catch sight of them coming back from their weekend walks or exchanging a small peck in the hall. It was a rare occasion though.) 

“Ronnie,” Molly smiles, noting the warm tea already at the kitchen table. Ron simply smiles fondly at her and Molly is sure he knows about her coming in to do their laundry and clean more than he’s letting on. He’s doing it for her. She knows and it makes her heart ache that her children are taking care of her as much as she’s trying to take care of them. 

“Anyway,” Ron rolls his eyes, nose pressing into dark hair before he steps back from Harry. She can hear Harry let out a content sigh, smile oh so soft as he watches Ron steps away over his shoulder. “We thought we’d make you breakfast. Ya insist on making it for us all the time.” And yeah, she may come over more than once a week with food. She only stays to eat with Ron once a week though. 

“Ah, well, that does sound lovely,” Molly admits. She’s been so busy trying to keep herself busy that she forgot how nice it was to have someone wait on her a bit. Ron even pours her a cup of tea with a warm smile, adding just a bit of sugar like she likes. 

“You’re acting like I haven’t offered before. Don’t make me sound bad in front of my boyfriend,” Ron teases. Molly’s heart could swell with happiness right now. The two have grown so much together and helped each other heal from the war. They seem to be so happy and that makes Molly happy. All she’s ever wanted for her children is for them to be happy. 

“Oh, I’m sure Harry already knows how wonderful you are, dear,” Molly smiles, leaning forward on her elbows. Ron seems momentarily stunned, blue eyes blinking as he seems to process the words. Has she not told Ron how wonderful he is enough? The slow smile that pulls up his lips is accompanied by a pink tinge to his cheeks. 

“Mum, I’m not a kid anymore. No need to embarrass me.” Harry has joined them at the table with a plate of eggs and bacon. She can smell muffins, her own recipe she’s sure, and it warms her heart. 

“Hm, I’m pretty sure that’s what your mother is supposed to do,” Molly smiles, enjoying Harry’s amused laugh. “Now Harry, I’m sure I can come up with a few embarrassing things for you.” That seems to get Harry to quiet down, green eyes wide. He looks like he’s filtering through memories, trying to decide if Molly has any material on him. 

“Leave him alone, mum,” Ron smiles fondly, shaking his head as he piles his plate high. He’s always had a big appetite and it seems it has only gotten bigger since his physical training. 

“She is right though, you are brilliant,” Harry pipes in, leaning forward to press a kiss to Ron’s cheek before he turns back toward Molly. “Did he tell you he was up for promotion? Youngest in the department. He’s a brilliant strategist.”

“Ron! You didn’t tell me that,” Molly scowls, nearly spilling her tea in her excitement. Ron smiles shyly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. 

“It isn’t like I have it yet,” he brushes off, like he doesn’t believe he’ll get it, like he doesn’t believe he deserves it. Oh, Molly should have worked harder to build this poor boy's confidence. He’s so brilliant and he doesn’t even know it. She’s going to make sure he knows how brilliant he is from now on. 

“Oh, but you have to tell me everything,” Molly gushes. She’s surprised when Harry speaks up, green eyes elite in his enthusiasm as he speaks so highly of Ron. Molly can see the pride seeping out of his smile, lighting up his eyes. 

Molly may have failed Ron when it came to building his confidence but Harry never did. He’s always had faith in Ron’s ability and it has only grown over time. Harry is everything she could have hoped for for her son, building him up through genuine love and understanding. 

**Author's Note:**

> Headcanon for this universe:   
> Ron and Harry often shower together. It normally doesn't lead to anything sexual. It's simply more time that they get to spend together. This is especially important for them when they're on opposite shifts or when promotions cause one or the other to be in the office late. It allows them a calm moment to talk about their days and simply take care of each other. 
> 
> Comments make my heart happy <3
> 
> Find my [tumblr](https://playitaagain.tumblr.com/) here!


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